Wayne Thiebaud (1920–2021)
1969
Oil on canvas
When he produced this work at the end of his breakthrough decade, Wayne Thiebaud had established a significant reputation as a painter of modern American still life. Critics had interpreted his work in different ways: as expressing the beauty of the everyday, as an exploration of nostalgic Americana, or even a critique of the excesses of consumerism. This imagined candy counter plays to all these interpretations, with its brighter colours making everything even more vivid than in earlier works. Thiebaud thought of his still lifes as scenes of modern life or staged performances: ‘The objects are… like small landscapes, buildings or characters in a play with costumes.’ By this time, Thiebaud’s work extended beyond still life and, during his long career, he was also famed for his figure paintings and cityscapes.